The Lao government has taken many measures and policies to encourage its people to use electric vehicles (EVs), as an effort to reduce fuel imports and save foreign currency while mitigating hazardous substances and ensuring energy security in recent years.
Laos has set a goal for electric vehicles to make up at least 1% of the total number of vehicles in the country by 2025 and reach at least 30% by 2030. (Photo: VNA)
Vientiane (VNA) - The Lao government has taken many measures and policies to encourage its people to use electric vehicles (EVs), as an effort to reduce fuel imports and save foreign currency while mitigating hazardous substances and ensuring energy security in recent years.
In 2019, the government introduced a number of incentives for the development of clean transport, towards environmental protection, whereby the country will reduce import tax, encourage production and assembly to lower the cost of electric vehicles in Laos.
In 2021, the government issued Resolution No. 04/NQCP on the adoption and application of the policy of using electric vehicles.
In addition, the government has encouraged the construction of plants to manufacture components, spare parts, and assemble electric vehicles for domestic use and export.
It also encourages the development of EV charging stations in urban and rural areas, and along national highways.
♒ It has set a goal for electric vehicles to make up at least 1% of the total number of vehicles in the country by 2025 and reach at least 30% by 2030./.
Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith has appointed 22 senior government officials as members of a National Committee on Digital Transformation, in a bid to spur Laos’s social and economic development, Vientiane Times reported.
The number of Lao and foreign tourists flocking to the far-north province of Houaphanh, Laos, has increased significantly after Nong Khang airport came into operation last month.
Localities in Laos have been turning Boun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival) – a long-lasting major festival in the Southeast Asia country – into a tourism event to attract visitors.
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Total trade between Indonesia and New Zealand in the first half of 2025 reached 963.23 million USD, an increase of 21.56% compared to 792.39 million USD in the same period last year. Of this amount, Indonesia's exports to New Zealand totaled 374.89 million USD, while imports 588.35 million USD
Malaysia, as ASEAN 2025 Chair, marked the bloc’s 58th founding anniversary on August 8 with a vibrant celebration in Cyberjaya, blending an official ceremony with a colorful cultural festival.
Vietnam plays an important role in Southeast Asia’s economic growth and is a key partner of her country in realising the shared vision of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region, said Robyn Mudie, First Assistant Secretary of Office of Southeast Asia (OSA) – Southeast Asia Regional and Mainland Division at Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
The 2025 ASEAN Business Community Development (ABCD) Forum, themed “Empowering ASEAN's Next Leap: Digital, Sustainable & Entrepreneurial Transformation” brought together ministers, CEOs, and top industry experts to discuss key regional economic priorities.
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The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking identified the US tariff reduction as a significant driver behind the improved economic outlook for Thailand.
Financial institutions and financial technology (fintech) players are intensifying their focus on expanding across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), adopting tailored strategies to strengthen their presence in the region’s digital financial services landscape.
Featuring a permanent exhibition area, the ASEAN Hall will function both as a cultural showcase and as a dynamic venue for ASEAN-related events and programmes. Its inauguration on ASEAN Day added symbolic weight, marking a fresh milestone in ASEAN–RoK relations.
Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce and rice exporters are devising strategic plans to boost rice exports amid global market fluctuations, focusing on key markets and adjusting output.
The focus of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in October will be on strengthening economic relations through intra-regional trade and investment, as well as regional initiatives on energy networks and connectivity.
Indonesian Ambassador Rina P. Soemarno, who currently serves as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Prague, emphasised the spirit of regional solidarity and cooperation, and the importance of enhancing ASEAN–Czech Republic relations.
The Indonesian Government is determined to seize opportunities to enhance the competitiveness of national agricultural products, an official has said, adding that it always strives to promote exports at the highest possible level, based on a mutually beneficial foundation.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira has outlined a six-point strategy to promote innovation, support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and push for Thailand's removal from the US Trade Representative (USTR)’s special 301 Watch List regarding intellectual property rights protection among trading partners.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung emphasised ASEAN’s central role in regional mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), highlighting its significant contribution to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in Southeast Asia.
The consumer index of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), fell to 51.7 in July from 52.7 in the previous month. The sluggish economy and the trade war, as well as high living costs, continue to undermine confidence, the university said.
Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Istvan Jakab expressed his hope for further deepening Hungary’s ties with ASEAN countries and called for their support for Hungary’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
The 30-storey tower crumbled seconds after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit neighbouring Myanmar on March 28. The partially built high-rise, meant to house the State Audit Office (SAO), was the only building in Thailand to collapse, killing 89 people on the site, mostly construction workers.
Indonesia’s waste generation is projected to exceed 50 million tonnes in 2025. Of the total, more than 20 million tonnes could potentially enter the ocean through rivers, coastal areas, small islands, ports, and marine activities, and thereby, pose a risk to coastal ecosystems and marine biota.
Laos has set a goal for electric vehicles to make up at least 1% of the total number of vehicles in the country by 2025 and reach at least 30% by 2030. (Photo: VNA) 
